Ten-year Hoboken resident Jennifer Iserloh is about to kick off her next venture – sauces made from superfoods. Iserloh, the CEO of Skinny Chef Culinary Ventures, is a trained chef, certified health coach, and has written or co-authored a dozen books. Now Iserloh has turned her healthy eating attention to superfood-based sauces to be sold in stores starting next month.

A superfood is a food considered especially nutritious or otherwise beneficial to health and well-being.

“One of the biggest challenges is that people just don’t know how to cook healthy,” Iserloh said. “I try to convince people that it’s easy. I can’t go in everyone’s houses and cook for them. I wish I could.”

The sauces combine unusual ingredients with t flavor profile calling for a chili and a super fruit.

“Originally I thought of one understandable flavor that would appeal to everyday Americans, like barbeque,” she said.

Iserloh conducted market research and through innovative food hybrids she came up with four unique flavors: Blazin’ Blueberry, Goji Espresso, Cherry Chipotle and Pomegranate Cayenne.

“I’ve also been known to experiment in the past with putting spinach into ice cream and making an avocado chocolate milkshake,” said Iserloh. “I enjoy making weird flavor combinations.”

Culinary chops

Iserloh said she was not always the health-conscious skinny chef she is today. Growing up in a Hungarian family, she saw her fair share of big meals and overeating. In fact, Iserloh said she was once uncomfortable with her weight. She had always had an interest in the culinary arts, but was reticent to go after her dream.

“People are often afraid to chase their dreams. They think ‘What if I don’t make any money at it?’ or ‘What if I fail?’” said Iserloh.

That said, at thirty she did go after her dream, a move for which she credits the help of yoga and meditation.

Iserloh quit her job at NYU and enrolled in culinary school. She graduated with honors from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York and then trailed in restaurants throughout Manhattan. It wasn’t long before Iserloh was getting prestigious private cooking gigs in the homes of celebrities like Annie Leibovitz and Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld. After receiving her health coach accreditation, her blog skinnychef.com began attracting the attention of noteworthy producers.

“I want to spread the message of how to eat healthier through cooking at home,” said Iserloh. It gives people more energy and puts them in the right psychological space.”

Iserloh said that other diets don’t necessarily turn the “permanent switch” toward healthy eating and people begin losing weight the wrong way.

A sauce is born

With the help of her husband, who has a PhD in organic chemistry, Iserloh conceptualized the Skinny Chef Superfood Sauces. Iserloh cooked the sauces in her kitchen, then hired a food chemist and finally found a “co-packer” out of Chicago, to help with the sampling. According to Iserloh, co-packing companies cook in cauldrons and then bottle the samples as well as conduct PH testing to make sure the products are safe.

Sampling, however, can get pricey. Iserloh used the popular crowd-funding source Indiegogo.com to help raise the final funds, which was a $9,000 feat in a short time.

The next step is to find a warehouse space, to which Iserloh hopes can be right here in Hoboken. The last decade of her journey has taken place in various parts of the city and she said she would love to have the warehouse here too.

Iserloh has a business developer with over thirty years of industry experience who will talk to brokers and help stock stores with the product.

“I’d like to get them in some local Hoboken stores as well. We are hoping to have them out in stores in April,” Iserloh said.

All of the sauces are under 30 calories and offer instructions on how to make a meal at home.

“They have none of the top ten allergens in them as well,” said Iserloh.

The sauces are vegan, gluten-free, and can be eaten by those on the Atkins diet or those who suffer from Celiac disease.

“I love to teach people about cool flavors, healthy foods, and then put that extra chef spin on it,” Iserloh said.

To find out more about Iserloh and Skinny Chef Superfood Sauces, visit www.skinnychef.com/blog/skinny-chef-superfood-sauces.